COMPOSITAE 4g9 



8. E. SPiCATus Aubl. 



An erect, rather stiff herb 20 to 60 cm high, sparingly appressed- 

 puDescent or nearly glabrous. Leaves oblong-obovate, obtuse, base nar- 

 rowed, crenate, 9 to 14 cm long, those of the upper part of the stem smaller. 

 ±ieads about 15 cm long, sessile, in clusters of 2 to 5, in the axils of very 

 much reduced leaves, arranged along the few, elongated, spike-like branches 

 or the inflorescence. Involucral-bracts green, the outer much smaller than 

 the inner ones. Achenes ribbed, hirsute, the pappus-hairs 4, dilated and 

 laciniate-cleft at the base, unequal, 2 straight, 2 longer, abruptly recurved 

 and again curved upward. Corolla white, about 7 mm long. 



In open waste places, fl. Dec-April; common and widely distributed in 

 the Philippines. Introduced- from tropical America, but reported from 

 no other part of the Orient except Guam and southern China. 



5. SPHAERANTHUS Linnaeus 



Annual, erect or spreading, rather coarse herbs. Leaves alternate, 

 toothed, decurrent on the branches. Heads small, in terminal, solitary, 

 globose clusters. Flowers heterogainous, the outer ones few or ttiany, 

 female, slender, the limb minutely 2- or 3-toothed. Disk-flowers perfect, 

 solitary or few, the limb 4- Or 5-toothed. Involucre narrow, the bracts 

 dry, acute, unequal. Achenes oblong, somewhat compressed, the pappus 

 none. (Greek "sphere" and "flower," from the globose inflorescence.) 



Species about 8, tropical Africa, Asia, to Australia, 1 in the Philippines. 



1. S. AFRICANUS L. 



A more or less pubescent or nearly glabrous, ratlier coarse, branched 

 herb less than 1 m high, the branches spreading the stems and branches 

 prominently 3-winged by the decurrent leaves. Leaves obovate to oblong- 

 obovate, sessile, 4 to 13 cm long, finely toothed. Heads very numerous, in 

 dense, globose clusters about 1 cm in diameter, solitary, on erect, winged 

 peduncles. Flowers greenish-white. 



In waste places, occasional, fl. Sept.- April; of local occurrence about 

 towns in t^e Philippines, certainly an introduced plant here. Tropical 

 Africa and Asia, through Malaya to Australia. 



7. BLUMEA DeCandolle 



Annual or perennial, glandular, pubescent, or glabrous, usually erect, 

 simple or branched herbs, often aromatic. Leaves alternate, toothed or 

 lobed. Heads small, usually numerous, scattered or fascicled in corymbose 

 panicles or in spiike-like racemes, yellow or purplish. Involucre ovoid or 

 campanulate, the bracts narrow, many-seriate, the outer ones smaller. 

 Outer flowers female, very numerous, slender, tubular, the limb 4- or 

 6-toothed. Inner perfect flowers few, stouter. Achenes small, cylindric 

 or angled; pappus white or brownish, the hairs 1-seriate, slender. (In 

 honor of C. L. Blume, a Dutch botanist.) 



Species about 75, tropical Asia, and Africa, through Malaya to Australia, 

 about 20 in the Philippines. 



1. A coarse, erect, stout, suifrutescent herb, or a shrub 2 to 3 m high, the 



leaves very strongly aromatic ■.. 1. B. balaamijera 



1. Herbs, branched or simple; 20 to 120 cm high, slightly or not aromatic- 

 2. Heads very numerous, crowded in dense spike-like racemes or p^ijielieB; 

 softly pubescent plants. 



